Third Surprise
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Set post-series. Jim and Pam have just settled into Austin when they get the news.


**I don't own The Office and never will. No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Pam was trying to figure out the bills for the month when she looked at the calendar and realized what the date was. She quickly counted backwards, trying to figure out if she had gone wrong somewhere, but realized she hadn't. "Oh shit." Maybe it was just the stress of moving, though. Pam wasn't going to jump to conclusions. She, Jim, and the kids had just moved to Austin three months earlier and they had finally settled in (maybe it was lucky they had bought a four bedroom house, but Pam wasn't going to automatically assume this was what she thought it was).

However, just to be sure, Pam stopped at the pharmacy on the way to pick up the kids from school and bought a package of pregnancy tests. She planned on waiting until Jim got home so they could find out the results together, just like they had before. She didn't want to disappoint him if the result was negative, however. They hadn't even talked about having another baby (then again, they hadn't planned Cece and Philip) so Pam wasn't sure how they'd deal with either result. Would they try again if she wasn't? They could afford a third kid since Athleap was booming. This was the first time in a long time neither of them was worried about money.

When Jim got home, Pam sighed in relief. He hugged the kids and then kissed his wife. Jim didn't even get a chance to ask what they were having for dinner before she dragged him into the bathroom. "Okay, why are we in here?"

Pam answered by whipping out the pregnancy tests. "This is why we're in here."

His mouth dropped open and he stared at her for a few seconds before smiling. "You're pregnant again?"

She shrugged. "I might be – I'm late and you know how exhausted I've been. I just blamed it on the stress of the move, getting used to a new job, and the kids."

"Well, take the test so we can find out for sure!" Jim was excited to find out the results. He loved being a father and adding a third child would be fun. Nice, too, since they could actually afford to expand their family.

Pam laughed. "Fine then. Turn around, please."

"Pam, you're my wife. Why do I have to turn around?"

"Just do it!"

He shrugged and turned around so she could take the test in peace. Three minutes was actually a long time when waiting for big results like this and they both wished it would go faster. "So, when do you think it happened if it did?"

Pam sighed before grinning. "Probably when we decided to christen nearly every room of the house." They had stayed away from Cece and Philip's rooms and the basement.

"Maybe the kitchen sex because that was pretty awesome."

"I can see that. Oh God, the three minutes are up!"

"Well, what does it say?" Jim and Pam just stood there and waited for a minute or so before walking up to the sink to read the results together.

Pam started laughing when she picked up the test. "We're having another baby, Jim."

"We're having another baby! Beesly!" Jim picked her up and kissed her a few times before putting her back down. He was so excited, but having a hard time adjusting to the fact that his wife was pregnant again.

"So, three unplanned pregnancies. There's not going to be a fourth," she warned. Three kids were enough, especially since she and Jim were going to be outnumbered now.

"But a fourth would make it even…," he trailed off at her glare. "… but we don't need to have an even number of kids." Two was exhausting already and he couldn't imagine how a third was going to change the dynamic.

"How do you feel about this?" Pam knew how she felt, but she just wanted to make sure that her husband felt the same way.

"Pam, I literally just picked you up. I am really happy you're pregnant again."

"So am I. Wow, I'm pregnant again. At least the kids are older now. A bigger age difference means that we won't be dealing with the same issues we had when Philip was first born."

"That is true. And it's pretty quiet out there. We should check on the kids."

"You're right." She went to walk out of the bathroom to make sure Cece and Philip weren't getting in any trouble, but Jim stopped her first. "What?"

He didn't answer, just pulled her closer and kissed her again. "I love you and our family. Can't wait to meet this new one."

"Me neither." She allowed him to place a hand on her flat stomach and kiss it before they rushed out of the bathroom. Luckily for Jim and Pam, both kids had been distracted by their favorite cartoon (one of the few things they actually agreed on).

Pam couldn't wait to meet the newest baby and to learn about his or her personality. Cece and Philip surprised them every day with something new they learned or did. It didn't matter that none of her pregnancies had been planned – They could handle it, especially now that their living situation was different. But she meant it when she said they were definitely done having kids since three was enough. Four would be too much for them and Pam already knew that. Birth control had failed for them every time so they were going to have to look into a more permanent solution to preventing pregnancy (Jim ended up getting a vasectomy a few weeks later, and luckily for them, it took).

Seven months later, Jim and Pam welcomed their third and final child, Laura Elyse Halpert. She fit right in with the family even though Cece and Philip didn't like their little sister at first. The two quickly got over their jealously and started to dote over the newborn, something their parents were grateful for. Pam and Jim's life got even more hectic with another child, but they found that once they got used to it, they were able to manage it just fine. And having the means to support their family helped, too. Jim and Pam were both thrilled their three little surprises had turned out so well and wouldn't trade their life together for anything. It felt like their family was complete with Cece, Philip, and Laura.


End file.
